Past President

IHEEM

Biography

Paul Fenton MBE is a Chartered Electrical Engineer, having extensive experience over the last 28 years within the Building Services and Facilities Management industry in both the public and private sectors, in the UK and European markets. He was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in Her Majesty the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list in 2020 for services to the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.

Since December 2020 Paul has been appointed as President of The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) and previously held the position of National Chairman of the Health Estates and Facilities Management Association (HEFMA). He is also a Fellow of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a Fellow of The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) and a Fellow of The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM).

Starting his career with Eastern Electricity he swiftly moved into Facilities Management through the takeover by Texas Utilities (Europe) and was responsible for their building portfolio of around 130 properties which included the UK HQ in London and European HQ in Geneva.  After leaving TXU in 2000 he spent a short time in consultancy and then joined Carillion FM working at Colchester Hospital as Head of Estates until 2002 when he joined the NHS at Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust. He has held senior positions in four acute hospitals and a mental health and community foundation trust in the East of England.

Paul is now the Executive Director of Estates and Facilities for East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust following the merger between Ipswich and Colchester Hospitals in July 2018 having previously joined The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust in September 2015.

Paul has board responsibility for the Trust’s Estates and Facilities services, property and land acquisition and disposals, its capital development programme and delivery of major new construction and refurbishment schemes. He is also the board Accountable Officer for Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response (EPRR) and chairs the Integrated Care Board (ICB) Estates Committee for the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System (ICS).

He is married with three children and seven grandchildren and enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, walking and taking weekend breaks with family and friends amongst other hobbies and activities.